Walnut Creek municipal building dedicated
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on June 1, 2007 1:45 PM
WALNUT CREEK -- The Village of Walnut Creek dedicated its new municipal building today, with dozens of people touring the new 3,850-square-foot facility.
Mayor Ken Ritt said the town council used Hobbs Architects and wanted to give the building character yet keep it simple. He said the contractor, Fasco of Kinston, was excellent, staying on schedule throughout the year-long process.
The building cost $750,000, and Ritt said the village council tried to remain frugal in erecting the building and putting in its furnishings.
The village is young. Ritt said he was told many years ago the location was just a bunch of trees with a stream running through it.
"We started planning this building 10 years ago," he said. The village council had been meeting in the country club building, and the town staff operated out of a single-wide mobile home adjacent to the new municipal building's work site.
But as time passed, village officials came to the decision that a larger, better facility was needed.
"We realized we could not live with just one bathroom any more," Ritt said.
Village Administrator Lou Cook said there is no comparison to the old facility the village had leased "temporarily" for several years.
"It was cramped, all five of us working out of that single-wide," he said. The temporary part is finally gone. The trailer was within rock-throwing distance. We watched (the new municipal building) go up. Right now, we're savoring the moment."